Barcelona tactics
Luis Enrique made some adjustments to his 4-3-3 formation, which was to be expected in a game of this magnitude. The significant defensive tweak saw Ivan Rakitic assume a deeper defensive role on the right side of Javier Mascherano to block the passing lanes to Cristiano Ronaldo and limit the service to him.
The Blaugrana still defended in a familiar 4-5-1 formation with Luis Suarez leading the pressing while Neymar and Lionel Messi pressed from the sides of midfield. Mascherano defended from the base of a central midfield triangle that included Andres Iniesta and Rakitic.
When the ball got to Ronaldo down Barcelona’s right flank, Rakitic also pulled out from midfield to double-up on the World Footballer of the Year.
When in possession, Dani Alves and Jordi Alba supplied the width by charging forward down the flanks from full-back positions, while Mascherano remained as the anchorman protecting the central defenders.
Enrique made a strange move though in forward positions because he apparently tasked Messi and Neymar to spend most of the time hugging the touchline in the offensive-third, where they could make diagonal runs inside with possession.
That move had the benefit of pulling Los Blancos’ full-backs out wide, thereby opening channels for Rakitic and Iniesta to attack with their third man midfield runs, but it stripped Barcelona of the offensive threat of Messi.
Luis Suarez completed the offensive formation as the centre forward making runs in behind to get on the end of clipped balls over Real’s defence while also working the channels when the hosts had good possession in the offensive half.
Real Madrid tactics
Carlo Ancelotti also kept faith in a familiar 4-3-3 formation but the Italian clearly believed that Barcelona could be exposed with clever set pieces because Real mostly played short corner kicks, which looked dangerous.
The other interesting move saw left-back Marcelo afforded more offensive freedom than right-back Dani Carvajal. The Brazil international was tasked to charge down the left flank as much as possible in order to exploit Messi’s reluctance to track back.
When Los Blancos had good possession, Isco pushed on to support attacks centrally while Luka Modric largely remained in central midfield alongside Toni Kroos to protect the defenders and recycle possession at the base of midfield.
Karim Benzema worked as a centre forward providing a target for long balls while also dragging central defenders to free up space for Ronaldo and Gareth Bale to exploit when they made diagonal runs into Barcelona’s penalty box from the flanks.
Real had to defend in a 4-4-2 formation to limit Ronaldo’s defensive involvement. Ronaldo joined Karim Benzema in leading the pressing as the front-two, while the other eight outfield players performed serious pressing.
Isco pulled out of central midfield to the left side of midfield to offer protection to Marcelo. Gareth Bale defended from the right side of midfield while Toni Kroos and Luka Modric double pivoted in front of the back four.
Key tactical changes
At half-time, the sides were tied at 1-1 but Real were edging the contest as the hosts struggled to get Messi into the game while he was staying wide. Enrique pushed his best player to a central attacking midfield position where he got more possession and completed the game with more influence.
In the second-half, Barcelona’s shape consequently looked like a 4-4-2 formation with Messi on top of a midfield diamond. Neymar and Suarez remained as forwards leaving the right flank open. Still, the Blaugrana needed to wait for Suarez’s magic to take the lead and turn the tide.
After Barcelona went in front Ancelotti tried to chase the game by pushing Ronaldo centrally alongside Benzema in a 4-4-2 offensive formation with Bale drifting side as an inverted right winger, while Jese completed the game as a left midfielder.
Real Madrid had a threat on the counter with four athletic forwards but those stars saw very little of the ball in the final-third with Barcelona’s four central midfielders controlling the closing stages of the game, so Real were denied the chance to build the momentum necessary to stage a late comeback.
